Sir, just as autism is being called autistic spectrum disorder, I believe the issue with crowded teeth and a narrow skull should be called 'narrow skull spectrum disorder'. It is indeed multifactorial: chronic inflammation, changing breathing patterns and all the issues with tongue weakness, as well as improper development of the jaw due to lack of 'tough' food which was more stimulating to the growth of the mandible when chewing.

There are also many less talked about issues that relate to chronic inflammatory conditions that lead to poor breathing patterns. Lack of development of the brain due to lack of physicality in youth affects the development of the autonomic system that drives digestion, which then leads to these inflammatory conditions.

The poor vagal tone described above in essence leads to poor blood supply to the gut which leads to poor gut function as it relates to acid and enzyme production from the gut. This then often leads to chronic gut-associated issues such as dysbiosis, and leaky gut syndrome which can then lead to food sensitivities and autoimmune disorders.

There are also issues associated with this mechanism related to processed foods and even environmental chemicals. Since mouth breathing seems to be the common relationship to a narrower skull and teeth crowding then these mechanisms might be the primary epigenetic triggers.

1. Florida